Sand tracked in from beaches or rainwater from an afternoon shower can leave the floors at a business slippery and unsafe. It only takes a momentary loss of traction for someone to end up seriously hurt at a business, like a bar or a hotel. Slip-and-fall incidents occur frequently in Hawaiʻi and elsewhere. They can leave people with broken bones and even brain injuries in extreme cases. Sometimes, those affected by such incidents will choose to seek financial compensation from the person or business that owned the property where they got hurt. Those hurt when they fall on someone else’s property can sometimes pursue premises liability claims related to their injuries. A successful claim usually results in compensation from an insurance policy. When might someone who falls at a business have grounds for a claim against the company?

There Are Signs Of Negligence

Not every injury on someone else’s property automatically leads to compensation. People cannot demand compensation from others when they directly cause their own injuries. The person injured often needs to show that some kind of negligence on the part of the business or property owner led to their injury. Failing to have enough staff on hand to keep the floors clean and dry or not putting down rugs at the entrance could both be examples of negligence that might open a business up to a premises liability claim. If a reasonable person would agree that the situation was unsafe and increased the possibility of people getting hurt, then the situation may constitute negligence.

There Are Financial Consequences

Even in a scenario involving overt negligence, no claim would be possible if the person who fell only suffered a bit of embarrassment because of the incident. Medical consequences or significant property damage losses will be necessary if someone hopes to pursue a premises liability claim after a slip-and-fall at a business in Hawaiʻi. Hospital expenses, phone replacement costs and lost wages are all examples of damages people could seek in premises liability claims. Recognizing when a slip-and-fall incident may be actionable can help those injured unexpectedly at a business cover the losses they have suffered. Seeking legal guidance can help victims to identify a case’s potential viability accurately.